Abstract
Workplace violence is a critical issue in China. This study sought to determine the effect of workplace violence on the stability of medical students’ professional decision-making (professional thinking) and to identify correlative factors. A total of 872 medical students from 7 medical schools in Zhejiang province were chosen at random to complete a questionnaire regarding the effects of workplace violence on their decision to study medicine. Confronted with workplace violence, 24.4 % of medical students exhibited altered and unstable patterns in professional thinking. Bivariate regression analysis showed that students’ major, psychological pressure, medical confidence level, learning motivation, and awareness of the risks associated with practicing medicine were the primary factors affecting the stability of professional thinking. Overall, workplace violence played a major role in the professional thinking of medical students in Zhejiang province and was a major determinant in their decision to continue in their medical studies or change professions. (Am J Transl Med 2018. 2:52–58)